I know that this may come as a shock to you but yes, I participate in online dating. Really, I just have a online dating account. My extent of online dating is to have random guys tell me that I'm pretty. Shallow? Yes. Do I care? No! Sometimes a girl needs a pick me up. And since the last time a guy told me I was pretty in real life I was in highschool, this seemed like a good option. I really have no desire to date any of the guy on the dating website because A) because I've seen too many E! shows that begin with online dating and end with someone dead and B) there is NO ONE worth dating on these sites. That is was brings us to this post. In my 8 months of having a online dating account, I have noticed that the men that cyberly approach me can be categorized in 9 categories. What do I do with this knowledge, share it with you of course! 

The 9 Guys You Meet Online Dating:

1. The "Hey girl" guys.That's all they write in any message to you- "hey girl." Of course, there are variations to this message that can range from "hi" to "hey" to my personal favorite "heyy gurl". Like, what are you a fierce drag queen? And what's with the two Ys on the hey? Do you think that the the presence of the extra y is going to get you a date with me?  Like I'm sitting at home on my computer going "mhmm he doubled the y, I got to get me some of that!" Um, that would be a nope. You want to know how to get any RESPECTABLE girl- learn how to spell. It's not that hard, most computer have this little thing called auto correct so use it and don't abuse it- the English language that is. 

2. The visual lovers. These are they guys they only go as far as your profile picture before sending a message. They never read anything about you, such as your interest or likes or that you don't drink, but invite you out for one anyway. You wonder, even if it's for a minute, if they are illiterate due to their lack of interest in my interest. I understand that physical appearance DOES factor into dating and that anyone that says otherwise it lying to themselves and others, but it's only a part of dating.Dating is like a book- the cover might draw you in but the writing is what keeps you there! Well it should...unless it's a picture book. So, David, what do we think about these guys?  

 3. The body shot guys. Nothing say romance like a gym selfie of you delts. It might be a little unfair but I automatically put all of these guys into a category labelled "Don't Go There Ever Ever Ever." I mean, maybe I would date you if I wanted to spend a whole date talking about the pros and cons of whey protein after lifting and whether or not your pecs are defined enough or if I wanted to watch you flex in front of every reflective surface you come in contact with. Yep, that's the way to get a girl.Now, disclaimer, these are not the guys that go to the gym. I like going to the gym as well as guys that go to the gym. These are the guys are usually so self absorbed because they have a hot body and aware that they are "hot" which eventually drives all women that come in contact with them away from them...far away. (Which is probably why they have ended up on a online dating website) So I raise my Bojangles cup to you body guy shot. I hope that the hours of developing your body and ignoring your drowning personality will gain you a girl some day. 

4. The Hugh Hefners. Any and all dating websites you sign up on will always ask you your age. Wanna know why? Because people usually date other people around there age. And yet, for some reason, some guy old enough to be your dad will message you. I mean, old guys need love too but so do old women. Have you not seen the commercials for It's Our Time (.com)? There is a dating website for you and your contemporaries where y'all can talk about the moon landing and the Flower Power movement. So, please go stalk them instead of messaging me 6 times. That way, when you are on you date talking about when the Beatles toured America, you can talk to someone who was also alive during that time. 

This could be you!

5. The Super Creeps.The super creeps are a mysterious breed of online daters- like the Trojan horses of men. They seem like harmless, genuine guys but mark my words- these are the guys that make a skin suit of your flesh. You may thing that I'm joking but I'm not. I have only come in contact with this type of guy a few times, with one being most prevalent. This guy told me wrote a page and a half about how I was an angel who fell from heaven to grace the mere mortals with my heavenly face- pretty much everything short of confessing his undying love to me. At first it seemed sweet but after sharing it was my girlfriends it was clear that this guy wasn't romantic- he was a psycho. Seriously, if I had gone on a date with him, I probably would have been found in a ditch missing my lips and hair. Side note- I did see him at school once and though there were witnesses around, I hid my face. I like my lips and hair too much. 

6. The Basement Dwellers. These guys may or may not live in their mother's basement and may or may not have a form of employment. But one this is for sure- they understand any geeky reference you could whip out. They spend most of their time reading Battlestar Galatica fanfiction and Dungeons and Dragons forums and can name all of the Houses of Westeros. Are these bad attributes? No necessarily. In fact, I personally love geeky guys- see Henry Cavill and World of Warcraft. But these guys are typically the kind that rather live their life on the web and not in the presence where we live.That's why online dating probably appeals to them- they can do it online. They just need to surface from their Fortress' of Geeky Solitude once in a while to meet the sun. Please.Oh and eat and apple or something. 

 

7. The Deceivers.The unfortunate truth about the internet is that everyone can be who they want- and it's twice so for online dating. The first thing you see about anyone on a dating website is their picture. So, you obviously want you profile pic to look good. Unfortunately, some guys (and girls) have taken that to a whole new level. They post these unbelievable attractive pictures of them self that makes you click on them, only to reveal the truth-that they look NOTHING like that. Imagine seeing a trailer with Channing Tatum and then going to the movie and Channing Tatum is not in it, but Adam Sandler is. You see my disappointment. I know that looks aren't everything but don't post a photoshopped, filtered picture of you in high school as you profile pic. Not cool. Then there are the ultimate deceivers who must think that every girl on said dating website is an idiot and post a picture of a male celebrity as his profile pic. I came in contact once with a guy who have Chris Hemsworth picture as his profile pic- with Just Jared watermark and all. Being the girl that I am, I called him out. #TrueStory

Profile Pic vs. Reality

8. The Genuine Guys. Yes, they do exist in online dating but are like the proverbial needle in a haystack. To get to these guys you have to sort through men upon men, like a sale bin in Victoria's Secret. These guys have well thought out profiles which include certain unseen dating profile luxuries such as punctuation and capitalization. When they contact you, they focus more on your personality and likes and ask you real questions. These guys do not start by asking for you number or for you to go hangout because they want to get to know you and a person before meeting up in real life. They want to get to know you as you are. Good job guys. 

Dylan O'Brien- because I can

9. The Pervs.These guys are the underbellies of online dating society. They scurry around like cyber rats looking for their next victim to scar. The online dating life is usually very short because they are report so often to the website that they are kicked off. Sometimes these guys will just annoy you and ask things like "Heyy gurl, you wanna hook up later" but sometimes they take this one step further and send an explicit picture of themselves that makes you want to hurl and afraid to close you eyes. Avoid these guys like a plague and be wary opening any messages- a little tip from me to you.

Poor bunny- some things can not be unseen

As you can see, there are all sorts of guys on online dating sites. Some want to bench press you, some want to strip you of your skin and then there are some who want to flash you. Just be careful and safe and it you can find someone worth dating, hold onto them like a dress at a Barney's sample sale. 

XX -but not in a creepy, psycho way

Catherine 

Book Review:

Before the trailer came out, I new NOTHING about this book. I remember scrolling through the new trailers on my IMDB app, a favorite before bed activity, and it caught my eye. Knowing nothing that the book-or that there even was a book- I watch the trailer. (see below)

The Fault In Our Stars Trailer

"That looks sad, but good" was the only description I could muster after watching the live manifest of a book. I stupidly decide to look it up through Wikipedia, found out that it was written by John Green-who I knew from YouTube- and read the plot summary. Did you catch the stupid? I stupidly read the plot summary, not the synopsis, and stupidly found out every major detail of the book. Yep, I'm an idiot. I went away thinking that it was like "The Notebook", but with cancer. 

Boy was I wrong. 

I decide to read the book- even though I thought I knew every think about it already- this past Sunday in the land on Target. I was looking for a book to read and since everyone was so hyped up about this movie coming out (I mean, seriously Twitter) I would try to figure out what was so important about the sad book about the sad teenagers who have cancer. I case you know nothing about it, the book in a boy meets girl story about two teenagers who met at a cancer support group, Hazel and her Augustus. There are laughs and tears and anger and joy wrapped up in roughly 250 pages of printed paper. 

I finished last night around midnight.

Imagine "Starry Night" by van Gogh. Every stroke was place in the precise position, at the precise time to form an eternal masterpiece. That's how I feel about this book. It's a masterpiece. Now, it not my favorite novel of all time, I've read it once and I'm sure I'll read it again some day, but I don't have the overwhelming feeling to reread it now. I placed it on the shelf with all of the other books I've read, all of the other worlds I've live in and lives I've lived. 

But John Green's worlds are important. Each sentence is like a stroke of a paintbrush to this masterpiece. And I have to admit, I've never felt more stupid reading a book. He didn't use the simple, run of the mill words that we use daily to describe our lives. He's writing and his use of words reminded me of that scene from Dead Poet's Society where Robin Williams is standing on a desk teaching his class how to write. He tells them to use solid, all encompassing words rather that adjectives/adverbs to describe something.  

John Green might as well been that speckled guy in the front, for that's exactly was he did. The descriptions and emotions he arrayed through mere pen on paper is extraordinary. 

Now, I will say this, these characters are supposed to be highschoolers. The language in which the spoke, the fluidity of words and the emotional self awareness they felt is not something have ever encountered, in high school or college. Perhaps the thought that death was near forced them to enter this greater state of self awareness, but it sometimes felt out of character for a teenager. Maturity as an individual does come with realization that they are staring down death. Teenager usually feel invincible- Hazel and Augustus knew that they weren't.  Maybe that's what make is so beautiful, choosing to live when you know that you are going to die. So many would just give up, not in their personal well being, sure they would do what the doctor said, but put off their live until they were "done" with whatever plagued them. Hazel and Augustus lived their life in spite of cancer. 

Now the love story. Their love story is going to be one of modern day literature legend, right up there with Allie and Noah, Big and Carrie and even Bella and Edward. These are the romances that we wish we could live but know that they will never be ours. No one will ever write me 365 letters or build me a house or bring me into a life of eternal darkness with a bit. (I'm okay about the last one, being alive forever would be exhausting- and, as Peter Pan said "To die will be an awfully big adventure") But that's why we have books- to enter words that are not obtainable in ordinary life. 

In short, I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone looking for something wholehearted to read. This book is a literary rollercoaster of emotions that leaves you feeling whole. Now, be forewarned, there's language and non-graphic sexual content in the book, so read at your own risk- but it is worth the read. 

“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.” 
― John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

I do, John. I do. 

Read. Love. Live. 

Catherine, professional reader since 13, hopefully one day an author

"So Catherine,  you've graduate college- What are you going to do next?" 

I have been asked this question countless times since my matriculation last Saturday. I am now a college graduate with a B.S. in Biology. Yeah, it only took a 7 years but I will unveil the tragic time of transferring later. For now, I'll stick with the present. I have a college degree but nothing to do. You see, I didn't get into grad school. I failed. Not very used to that. But I'm trying to keep a positive outlook on everything like, "It's really really hard to get into the program I applied to" and my biggest cheering chatter:

"I now have a whole year to do whatever I want!"

Okay, granted I can't do whatever I want. Unfortunately I won't be backpacking around Europe or swimming with dolphins or following Coldplay around the U.S. for the next year (as much as I might want to). I will have to get a job and try to pay off my tremendous loans over the next year. But I am looking at the year as a year of opportunity, because I'm going to be positive...yeah.

So, for my first post back in a LONNNGGGG time (seriously, school was trying to kill me), I have decided to compose a list of all of the things that I want to accomplish over the next 12 months. 

1. I want to go to A LOT of baseball games. I've already been to 2 spring training games, but, now that the new season has begun, I feel compelled to make an often mecca to Atlanta to watch my favorite boys of baseball play. My younger brother will be living off and of with us this summer and he is a HUGE Braves fan, so I don't think it will be hard to coax him to a game one Friday or Saturday. Go Braves!

2. I want to become a proficient seamstress. About two years ago, I got this passionate idea to learn how to sew. After my grandmother's death, I inherited her ancient sewing machine. I was assured that it was the prime machine back in the day, but it had many flaws when it got to me- mainly the whole it didn't sew correctly one. But that still didn't stop my eagerness to learn. I tried to sew by hand, and ended up making a few little makeup bags- but I never managed to make any clothes. Last summer, I treated myself to a new sewing machine and tried to unsuccessfully make a skirt and went back to making makeup bags. But now I'm determined to figure out how to make something, like a simple skirt with a bow, because then I could make all of the cute skirts I wanted and I would be happy. Thank goodness for Pinterest and all it's pinning awesomeness and tutorials, hopefully one will lead me the sewing wonder. 

3. I'm going to organize my life. I consider my stuff to be in a state of organized chaos. I know where pretty much everything is and, when my room is clean, everything technically has a place, but the last few stressful months have slowly turned my organized room into a mess. And on top of that, I now have all of this school work that I can't really throw away (because it might be useful in grad school- welcome to Biology) but I don't necessarily want to look at it every day- or until need be. So I'm going to organize and basically redo my room so that it's mine. 

4. I'm going to read more. I have been putting off reading books so long that my "To Read" list in like a mile long! Book after book after book being put off for school. Reading is one of my greatest passions in life. If y'all could see the stacks of books under my bed you would understand- and I don't even have my whole collection. I have so many have read books that are begging for their pages to be flipped and words to be read and I can't wait to dive into their worlds! Especially you "The Hobbit"...I will conquer you. 

5. I think I'm finally going to learn how to play my guitar. I got a guitar for Christmas when I was 15 but never managed to learn how to play it because I have tiny little baby hands. I still have said guitar, though it definitely needs to be re-stringed. Maybe this is the year that I will finally be able to do so, especially now with the great resource of YouTube. Or, if a sexy guitar player wants to come teach me, I'll give you my number. ;)

6. I'm going to write more. And I mean it. That means more blogs (like a few times a week so get ready) about nerdy stuff and makeup and crafts/DIY and stupid times that happen to me and maybe, just maybe, I'll write a hair post and tutorial. Holla. Yeah, that's right, I said "holla". I have also challenged myself to finish my book. Yeah, I'm writing a book- I've actually been working on it for nearly 5 years and am only 13 chapters in. This year should be the break I need to finally put in the effort it deserves to finally be finished. I don't know if anyone will every read my book, I hope at least my friends will, but I'm going to finish it. Who knows, I might put a preview on here. Or not. You'll just have to wait to see. 

I can't wait to see what this next year holds. It wasn't exactly what I wanted to happened, but I'm going to be positive and see it for all of the opportunities it can bring. And, of course, I will be bring you guys along for the ride. To paraphrase the great philosopher Shay Carl, "If live's worth living, it's worth recording". So I'm going to record my life and hope the next year is amazing. 

Peace, love and buttercups, 

Catherine  

My Love Affair with Makeup:

Hello lovelies! I am back from my unexpected hiatus.  Lucky for me, all of my professors this semester decided that my exams were best scheduled two at a time with no breaks! Yay! I honestly don't know how my mind has survive until now. However, I think that the worst is over now so you will be hearing a lot more from me. I know, I know- you're excited but please, try to contain yourself.

So, I have made an executive decision about my blog. So far I have written about my poor attempts at finding love, my favorite men and a little on my favorite fandoms. But, from now on, I think I am going to switch gears on my little pink blog and actually swerve into the beauty lane. Yes, this will partly be a beauty blog. Now, of course I will still have my hot men rants and Disney post and funny stories regarding my life and the life of those around me, but I will also be dealing out my knowledge and tips I've learned regarding makeup, hair, skincare and fashion. I super excited about this because I love all things girly as well as all things nerdy! So, here we go with my first beauty post.

Since a very young age, I have loved makeup. In fact, one of my favorite pictures of myself as a toddler was one where I was standing on my parent's toilet with baby powder on my face and bright red lipstick smeared all over my lips. Even at the rip old age of three, I could wait to be a big girl and wear makeup.
I'm am now 24 and have been wearing makeup for at least the last 11 years. And through those 11 years, I have learned many tip and tricks of the makeup world. You see, no one taught me how to put on makeup. My poor mother-who is the most beautiful women in the world- never wears any makeup. And if she does, she is absolutely clueless as to how to apply it or buy it. (I'm completely serious, a few years ago she sent me to the store with a handful of cash to buy her makeup because she didn't even know what to buy) Because of this, I had to rely on observation and later YouTube videos to teach myself about the wonderful world of makeup. And I don't want to toot my own horn, but I think I have gotten skilled at doing it- on myself at least.

Now- before I go any further- I have to tell you that my makeup routine is exactly that- a routine. Yes, I mix it up a little now and then, but I usually don't venture far. Let me explain why. I feel like many girls use their makeup to try to change how they look. They use over exaggerated colors, liners and contouring to change their entire face. I am not like that. I believe that make up should be used to enhance every girls natural beauty. Every single girl out there is beautiful! It really breaks my heart when I see girls out their trying to hide themselves and change themselves by overdoing their face and not letting their true beauty shine through. Less really is more, especially when it comes to a basic day look, and that's how I feel like I do my make up.

Okay, little rant over. Now onto the real meat of this post- me and my make routine. As my maiden voyage as a beauty blogger I am going to show you how I do my makeup and share a list of my favorite products.

My Daily Makeup Routine:

First thing, always start with a clean face. Cleaning your face is really important when it comes to doing makeup because this stuff literally clogs your pores which can lead to ance- and no one like ance. (One day I may do a post on my skin care routine and how I determined which skin care routine was good for me.)

Look Mom, I'm on the internet with no makeup

First step first- concealer. Now matter how clean and clear your skin is, every girl is bound to get a few zits in her life time. Then, on top of that, with age comes dark circles that no one particularly wants peaking through. Through trial and error, I have discovered two concealers that I absolutely love!!! They are the Maybelline 24-Hour Concealer and Hard Candy's Glamoflauge. Though they are both liquid concealers, I really consider them to be in different forms. The Maybelline concealer comes in a tube and has an application wand for, well, application. For the past few months, I have been primarily using Glamoflauge but the Maybelline tubes are great to through in your bag for touch ups- which is why I am including them in this post. The Glamoflauge has stolen my heart. You only need a little bit to go a long way and it stays on a long time. Yay! It comes in a tube and can be applied with a sponge or, my preferred way, by using a beauty blender. Now, if you don't know what a beauty blender is, it is that little tear shaped pink sponge you see on the makeup aisle. They can be used dry or damp to apply liquid make up and they blend magnificently! (Just in case you were wondering) These products are both cheap ($6 for the Glamoflague and under $8 for the Maybelline) and are both products I would recommend. 

Now, for foundation. Back in March, I took the plunge and entered into a relationship with Bare Essentials. From then on, we have been in love. Yes, it is more expensive than normal powder or foundation you can buy, but it is totally worth it. It covers like a DREAM!!! It's light and, like the Glamoflague, it stays put all day. And I mean it, there are days when I would come home from school and still look fresh. Applying it might seems intimidating- they do give you a brush and specific instructions- but it really is simple. You pour a little in the cap, swirl your brush in it, tap off the excess then buff it onto your skin. After applying it, you might feel like a wizard with the crazy make up magic you just performed. 

Now, this next part is a little controversial. Some girls do their blush next, I do my eyes. First, I use an eyelid primer. I recently started using eyelid primer and so far I really haven't noticed a different in my length of stay for my eyeshadow but I am still using it so, who knows. Here comes the next controversial part! I don't use eyeliner in the conventional sense. I personally hate the way that eyeliner looks- it looks unnatural and actually makes most peoples, mine included, eyes looks smarted. Who wants to make their eye look smaller? They are the "gateway to the soul". Instead, I tight line. Now, tight lining is something that I can get behind. Instead of applying eyeliner in the conventional sense, I only use eyeliner to fill in the little gaps between my eyelashes. This doesn't make your eyes look smaller and, instead, really fills in your eyelashes to make them look thicker! How awesome it that? 

And now for the third controverisal part, I only wear brown and neutral eyeshadow tones. Most guys notice a girls eyes before anything else. Using colors that compliment your eye colors will really make your eyes stand out and really pop. That's why I, a blue eye girl, use brown whereas brown eye beauties should use more purples and blues and green eye girlies should use more greens and golds. By choosing complimenting colors, people will look at your beautiful eyes instead of your eyeshadow. 

Then I apply blush. Blush is about the simplest part of my makeup routine. Now, with blush, it's important to choose one that compliments your actually coloring and won't make you look, well, like a clown. Oh man, I actually saw a girl today at school who hadn't learn this concept and I could only look at her bright pink blush, and not her face. My personal favorite blush is Pink Blush 04 by Clinque. It's simple and soft and would probably match with most skin tones. 

After blush I apply a bronzer, if needed. Did you all read that- if NEEDED! We have all passed girls that are two different colors- tan faces and pale necks. Though I am probably guilty of doing that at least once, make sure to match your makeup well and blend it appropriately into you neck to avoid this common mistake.  Believe me, it's okay to put makeup on you neck ans even your chest- you won't be breaking some unwritten rule. When applying bronzer, apply it to you neck and chest also so that everything matches and to avoid that carnal makeup sin. Then set your makeup with powder or mineral veil- for us Bare Essentials users- to complete your look with you favorite lip stick or gloss. I personally love Utla's Brilliant Color lipgloss in 15. It's a beautiful shade that looks more like a shiny lipstick when on instead of a shimmering lip gloss. Sometimes, if I want a little shimmer, I'll layer a shimmery gloss over it- particularly a Revlon Shade that I can't find at the moment. 

And done! That's better.

Sorry for the bad lighting- blame my bathroom.

And now I'm ready to face the world. (Get it, face? Because I put on my face!)

I hope you have enjoyed my first beauty post. Comment or subscribe/ follow if you really enjoy post like this and I'll be sure to write more. 

Lots of love,

Catherine

Fangirling: I think I'm Doing it Wrong

In case you haven't noticed yet, I am a semi-professional fangirl. I'm only semi-professional because I am also a college student and teachers feel like my time is better spent reading boring textbooks than cyberstalking my favorite celebrities to find their favorite flavor of ice cream. Go figure. 
Now, the basic timeline of a fan girl is as follows:
First, the discovery- The fangirl (me) discovers a new television show/ movie/ book series/ actor and looks them up using whatever search engine she (me) deems useful.
Second,  the first exposure- After the discovery, the fangirl either watches a few episodes, movies, YouTube videos (containing the new actor) in fair moderation, slowly edging into the complex world of the fandom. It's like getting into a cold swimming pool, you slowly get in and get used to the crazy, I mean water.  
Thrid, the obsession- Through a climatic turn of events, every waking moment is suddenly spend reading or watching about the new obsession. This is the driving force that challenges you to walk all three seasons in two days. If you run out of things to watch, that's okay- there is always YouTube and fan made videos to fuel your desire. But you don't stop there. You constantly try to insert your new obsession into day to day conversations. Sometimes it works. Other times, they stare at you like you have a second head. But you don't care, you are blissfully in love with such and such and can't see their looks of confusion and concern. 
Fourth, the lifestyle- Your fangirling obsession becomes part of you life. Your parents may learn the name of your new actor obsession since you keep talking about the obsessively like you actually know them. (I'll admit that both my mother and little sister know that when I say Ben I mean Ben Barnes) This stage gets quite confusing when you become obsessed with a show like Doctor Who and you have to deal with the 9th, 10th and 11th Doctor who are the same character but each contain a different personality and are played by a different actor who you each love differently. You obsession is intergrated into the world of your other obsessions, each having their own place in your mixed up world of fangirling. 
Fifth, the come down- After an extent time in the lifestyle phase, you slowly start backing off your obsession- spending less time watching videos or reading Wikipedia entries and Fanfiction. You never stop loving your new obsession, but life does get in the way and you sometimes can't devote the time you want to your new love. 
Sixth and finally, the relapse- Every so often, you will fall back into the obsessive fan girl stages of two and three, like you are rediscovering them for the first time all over again. This usually occurs before season premieres and movie/book releases or news about your actor. Relapses are completely normal.

Now, why am I telling you the different phases of fangirling? Well, it's because I have a new fangirl obsession that is completely unorthodox....baseball. Yes, I, Catherine, Queen of the Fangirls, love baseball. 

Who doesn't like baseball pants?

In all fairness, I didn't just discover baseball. In fact, I have like it for many years, I grew up a Braves fan, but I never had the desire to curl up on a couch and watch a game. Instead, my baseball viewing was limited to my little brothers varsity games-he graduated high school 4 years ago- and a few live Braves games. That's it. But, that all changed a few weeks ago. *Cue dramatic lightening*
I was a usually sunny afternoon in July. I was upstairs studying when suddenly a thirst of immeasurable proportions engulfed my throat. Unable to stand it, I vacated my solitude of study in search for a glass of cool, refreshing water to ease my suffering. As I passed through the living room....I saw him. He was standing on first base, adjusting his batting gloves, trying to catch his breath. He had just hit his first major league hit, but you would have never known it- his face gave away nothing of happiness or pride, just undeniable handsomeness.
He was the cutest baseball player I had ever seen, despite the fact that I couldn't see his hair. My initial quest slipped my mind, my thoughts were only filled with the cute baseball player on first. I stood there, mouth open, trying to catch his name. I caught an inkling of one, the gist of his first and last, but my ears hear it wrong with my mind focused on him. 
Determined to play it cool, I got my glass of water but lingered a little longer than usual on my journey back through the living room hoping to catch another glance of the baseball boy who took my breath away. My glance was met with disappointment, disappointment and a commercial- probably the one for the pocket hose. 
I all freventness, I google his supposed name. But I was met with an unanswered inquiry and and a heavy heart. I turned back to my books, never forgetting the cute boy on first. 
Two days later, I did something I had never done before- I turned on the Braves game. I grabbed the remote and pushed the channel up button to a place I had never ventured before, passed the style and and E! network to the thousand and one sports channels my cable provider thinks we should have. I went back to the activity at hand, making dinner, but I kept listening for the beautiful boys name. I caught a few plays between chopping and shucking, enough to surprise my little brother and father with a play by play when they got home. After dinner, I even sat down to watch the rest of the game and , finally, I caught his name. It was like music to my ears and I couldn't wait to sneak away upstairs to google his name in true fangirl fashion. When I did finally sneak away, nothing sweeter than typing his name into a google search bar, though I probably spelled it wrong, and hitting send. There is was, the baseball player who had plagued my mind layed out to me in cyber form. I knew his stats, his college and his batting average all accompanied with a picture in a simply click. I also found his ice-breaking music video that left me and my brother laughing. Ah, I was enamored. 
The next day, my family left for vacation and I started DVRing baseball games to fast forward later for glimpses of the baseball player. Night after night, I taped baseball games and read complicated stats online- first of him but soon other players. I learned their names, numbers and positions, picking out my favorites not based on looks but on talent. 
A few days later I had to join my family on vacation, but my fangirling had to be fed somehow. So I finally began using my Sportscenter app, giving my Dad and brother game play by plays in the middle of Walt Disney World and draining my battery in the process. My littler brother, who found this all humorously endearing, didn't mind answering my questions with a knowing smirk, no doubt happy to be sharing one of his loves with his passionate sister. He taught me what a balk was at dinner and discussed the Nationals with me in line. For a mindless vacation, I learned a lot. 
When the baseball player got optioned tot he minors, I downloaded the minor league app to follow him. Now, two apps occupied my time in lines and deplete my battery. And I decided that I had to go to a game, quickly employing my best friend and partner in fangirl crime to accompany me. 
When I got home and he got called back up, the taping began again but, this time, I watched the whole game. Game after game I watched, not just to see the baseball player, but to watch the group of talented, athletic men play a sport that I had rediscovered my appreciation of. Even tonight I interrupted this post to spend three hours curled up in the couch watching the Braves beat the Mets. This passed weekend, I attended my first major league game since high school and had an amazing time despite the fact that my baseball player wasn't there. I was on a fan girl high, pure excitement to see the team I had come to love play and win! 
I was, I am a fan and, most importantly, I'm a fangirl. I only wish I had discovered this love earlier in the season so that I could have may more games, but I will take advantage of the time in the season and post season that I have left and make more trips to Atlanta, where the players play. Maybe I'll even run into my baseball player and hopefully I won't fangirl all over him because that's not attractive, no siree. But who cares either way, I'm going to another game! 

Though, I really do want to see him- he's so CUTE!

Well, there's my latest fangirl obsession. It's strange, but I don't care- I love it. And, hey, it's probably healthier than most obsessions...it encourages me to go outside, sorta. 

I hope you enjoyed this and found it as fun and entertaining as I had writing it. If you have any suggestions for future post, leave them below! 

*Catherine Note* The baseball player's name was specifically left out in case said baseball player ever finds this then maybe he won't think I'm crazy...okay, maybe a little crazy but in a cute, adorable Zooey Deschanel way.

All my love and play ball-
Catherine XX

*Another unrelated note* For those who read and even enjoyed my Ben Barnes post a few weeks ago, have I got a treat for you. I have discovered another song sung by the gorgeous Ben that might seriously have you in tears from its beauty. Seriously, this is the most beautiful song ever- beautiful enough to make stone cherubims come to life and cry because they will never be this beautiful. It just won't happen. Nope.

Seriously, the only way this could be better is if he was singing it to you in person.

My first time...

I kissed a boy.

Okay, admit it, you got all excited thinking that I was going to write about something completely personal? Shame on you ;) 

I got the idea of this post from English Youtubers, Zoella and Sprinkle of Glitter, and I thought that I would maybe share some of my first times with the world. However, I only think that three people actually read my blog-one of them is probably my mother-so I guess I'm only sharing it with a very small percent of the population. Well, no matter how many or whoever is reading, here we go.

*Catherine Note*: All names have been changed to in order to protect the parties associate. I have decided to change them all, possibly including my own, to Disney character names because I'm fun like that. 

My first kiss,

A tale by Catherine 

Once upon a time, when I was in kindergarten, I kissed two boys in one day and I got in trouble. 

Though that story is very true, I don't that kissing before puberty counts. So here is the true account of my true first kiss. 

Once upon a time, in the kingdom of Alabamaistan, I was forced to change high schools. My parents thought it would be best for me to attend a small, private Christian school along with my brothers. On my first day of school, I saw him- Philip for this stories sake- in band. He was the cutest boy I had ever seen, and that's saying something. Naturally, as was accustomed of my fourteen years old self, I was determined to make him my boyfriend, despite the fact that he was sixteen. I was a lot more forward back in those days, in case my kissing two boys in kindergarten didn't tell you that, so I immediately wrote a note to my only friend at my new school casually about the unknown cute drummer. And by casually, I mean with the subtlety of a bull in a china shop. She told me that he was named "Philip" and that he had a nice family and that we could use year books to figure out more about him. You see boys and girls, this was 2003 and we didn't have Facebook or Twitter to stalk a boy through. If I did have it, I would have been unstoppable!

 So, Aurora- me- pursued Philip through the only forms of communication we used in these ancient days, AIM and notes. We wrote notes and IMed but, despite my best efforts, my attempts were all met with failure. This was unusually for me but, after a while, I backed off and decided it would never happen. However, everything changed one afternoon , on the band trip or tennis trip- I still don't know which one. This trip isn't important, however, the simple fact is that he suddenly liked me and it only took me a whole school year- it was May at this point- for him to come around. We officially started "going out" on whatever day my brother graduated from High School...I think. I was around that time and the official date isn't important to this story. 

Now, here is what you have all been waiting for, the story of the first kiss.  By the end of the end of the school year, something magical had happened that only happens one it probably 10,000- me and my best friends were dating, going out, with three best friends. This was highly convenient because we always had another couple to hang out with. Things were pretty great. The beginning of June brought Rapunzel's birthday so we all headed up to a little amusement park to celebrate, Rapunzel and her man, Belle and her man and me and Philip. I remember what I wore, khakis capris  and a pink v-neck shirt with white flip flops. Looking back, I wish I had been kissed in a lot better outfit but what can you do? We spent our day riding various rides, as couple of course,  and having alot of fun. Well, we were having alot of fun until Belle's guy broke up with her- as he purposely planned to do- and everyone else felt awkward. Nothing like you best friend crying in an amusement park after be broken up with by her boyfriend to put the happy in "Happy Birthday". 

While Belle and her now ex-beau talked. Rapunzel and her guy and my and my guy decided to go on a little ride together. I would describe this ride as Splash Mountain's dull grandmother. There were no singing animals or whimsical drops or colors. Basically, it was a tunnel that ended in a drop. Exciting, I know. Well, we get on this ride with he and I, strategically or not so strategically,  sitting in the back and we started going through this tunnel which continued to get darker and darker as we continued on. Soon, it was pitch black and we were all snuggled up in the back row with his arm around me. It was so romantic. Next thing I know, he kissed my cheek. Naturally, I turned to look at him in the pitch black dark. Then, it happened. Honestly, I don't know if it looked like the movies because I was involved in it and was not having an out of body experience at that moment. In fact, I didn't realize that was happening till about half was through the kiss. 

This was the conversation going on in my head at the time.

What, was is that? Are those lips? Are they his lips? Moron, he is kissing you! He's kissing me and I'm missing it. Are you eyes closed? No, I don't think so, are they supposed to be? Yes, that's how is it done in the movies. Oh yeah, right! 

Unfortunately I never closed my eyes so I'm sure that I looked like a proper idiot. When the kiss ended, I remember smiling and saying something about his six months since his last kiss being up, because I'm smooth like that. For the rest of the afternoon, especially about the time my mother was supposed to come get me to take me home, I was completely terrified to be alone with him for fear that he would kiss me again and I would do something stupid again or worse, my mother would see. 

And that's the story of my first kiss. It wasn't movie-esque or perfectly time to a song. Instead, it was just me and the boy I liked in the back of a boat- but it was perfect. 

The first kiss is one of the most pivotal moment in a girls life. It doesn't require the perfect place and moment, just the perfect person. And it doesn't have to be a big, elaborate kiss. I can just be a sweet little peck, a chaste kiss if you will. Leave a comment below and tell me about your first kiss, how magically it was or if was slobbery, I would love to hear your storied especially if you had made it this far into mine. 

Now, this was only my first simple, innocent kiss. My first real kiss, and if you don't know what I mean by real than you probably should go back to watching iCarly, was later that month and doesn't have a cute story that accompanies it. It was still pretty hot, though,

Well, I hope you enjoyed a little look into my life. And, if you are my 13 year old daughter who somehow found this on the world wide web, your mom was just like you once. Now, turn off your computer or whatever internet capable device you are using and go to bed!

Love to all-

Catherine